


Ghostly Judgement

by wakawaka



Category: Fire Emblem: Fuukasetsugetsu | Fire Emblem: Three Houses
Genre: Alternate Universe, Character Death, F/F, adding tags as I go, based on a certain drama, except they're dead before the story starts i guess, ghost au, no beta we die like men
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-11-08
Updated: 2019-12-04
Packaged: 2021-01-25 10:16:01
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Major Character Death
Chapters: 3
Words: 4,023
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21354640
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/wakawaka/pseuds/wakawaka
Summary: Edelgard dislikes her ability to see the other world. The only comforting factor is that she hasn't seen her mother yet. There's a rather persistent ghost following her around, who is rather attractive she supposes - but that's a train of thought which she's not prepared to go down yet.
Relationships: Edelgard von Hresvelg/My Unit | Byleth
Comments: 19
Kudos: 143





	1. Striptease

The autumn leaves crackled beneath her feet, the crisp night air giving way to her warm breath, as she marched along the forest trail. Hubert - as always, was right behind her - his presence far more silent towards her ears than the ghostly remains of the dead constantly squabbling over their regrets. The trees creaked and moaned and swayed underneath the strong winds from the north. A deeper chill began to settle into the air, as black shadows waited from the treetops, searching for their wispy prey. _ It doesn’t concern me. _ While she was deathly pale, Edelgard knew there was a heart beating in her chest, albeit no matter how charred and rotten it was. 

No, the shadows were after something beyond dead. Regrets left behind, fugitives who ran from the supernatural order, refusing to end their existence on the mortal plane. Hubert gave no indication to the screams and wails of the recaptured souls - the concern easing onto his features, were a result from her visible discomfort.

“Lady Edelgard, perhaps we should find a place to sleep.” _Y__es, because there are places to sleep in a haunted forest, Hubert _. 

“Hubert, did you know this forest is haunted?”

“Surely you jest.”

* * *

The petals scattered into the air, forming shards which sliced through the maiden’s hands as she let go of life’s treasures into the shadows. Just peachy. The scream which erupted, told her it was time to run. And run, she did - bolting through the trees, her spirit proffering further decay amongst the forest. Was there safety for a being such as her? The damage she had caused would be substantial enough to distract but not throw them off her track. A little light in the distance beckoned her, offered its guidance. 

_ Closer to town _? Where more people co-existed, the easier to find sustenance and hide. Her friend, rather acquaintance may be able to put up with her for some days. 

While she was no longer living, she could not feel true warmth, energy pulsating from a small fire was familiar - memories of an old man whispering old fables, the sound of laughter, the smell of game turning on a spit and a name _ Byleth _ forgotten before realised. As the looming trees cleared, two contrasting figures sat around the glimmering light. Both pale, and intimidating in the moonlight, the fire dancing weird shadows across the faces - for people who physically extremely different, both held the same pain in the past, in lines of their faces. A useless glimmer of hope within Byleth blinked, asking for someone to see her, help her.

“Hubert, do you believe in ghosts?” The girl murmured, her eyes turned downward. Now this peaked Byleth’s interest. Travellers were common to debate the existence of ghosts, nonetheless it was amusing to behold how they perceived the undead. The man shifted, pulling a twig from beneath him.

“No, milady - I’m far more inclined to believe the House of Aegir will assist us in our search.” 

The conversation then derailed into murmurings about some sorry scum of a noble family. _ No matter _, the spirit thought - the concept of warmth was comforting, bathing her feet into the fire. She twirled her feet around, amused by the blue tint her form gave the fire. 

Peeling back her cloak, she lifted her shirt over her head, exposing her upper body into the nude. While ghosts were not affected by temperatures on the mortal plane, energy was universal, and placebo effects left by mortal memories led to grumbling ghosts when the rain fell. She stretched, grunting in satisfaction when she felt her joints crack and pop. It was strange, the idea of bubbles and tendons moving when all she was energy floating around without a physical shell. 

Byleth, despite her deadpan deposition, thought too much - a double edged blade. The girl in red, started whether an effect of the firelight Byleth was unsure, and her previously pale face took on a hinge of pink. The man in ever black, sat there unperturbed as one should be by Byleth’s ghostly nude form. 

_ Odd_, she thought to herself. Byleth was not one for mischief by any means, but she was willing to entertain the idea of the girl having sight. If she didn’t, there was no harm done. She would do what she needed to do as planned with the subpar medium she met in the next town over. She proceeded to shrug off her pants. A strangled gasp arose from the girl’s throat.

“Lady Edelgard, is something of the matter?” _ Ah, so Edelgard is her name. _

“It...is a-alright, Hubert - I’m afraid I’m feeling rather tired, excuse me. Wake me up for my turn on watch duty.”

“Of course.”

_ Edelgard _ proceeded to prepare her bedroll, and lay down - lifting the blanket over her head. She was definitely affected by Byleth’s lack of sensitivities, which meant she could _ see_. However Byleth’s hopes were not so easily raised, she desired something _ more concrete_. Her attempts at communicating with those with weaker sight, have not been not very fruitful. While seeing was very promising, the human ability to perceive the other world was varied in strength and talent. It could change by the environment, weather and ghost. _ Edelgard _ slowly lay down, lifting the blanket over her head and on cue - Byleth lay down beneath her, poking her head through the sheet.

“Boo!” Byleth whispered. Edelgard’s features quickly fell under practiced control, but a quick second, there was definitely a hint of surprise and recognition. Moreso, the girl had a very cute pink blush going on. Edelgard shut her eyes. This girl definitely been hounded by ghosts, and while seemingly being highly experienced in hiding it, Byleth caught her eye. Byleth stood up, having confirmed enough for her curiosity. 

While this was no indication of how strong Edelgard was, Byleth decided it would be definitely worthwhile to follow the duo. She would let the girl sleep, besides she would need to get the girl alone to confront her. 

_ This time_, Byleth thought, _t__his time _ she had hopefully found someone to help her.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is an idea I had based on a drama I've watched, but while the premise is similar - I have different plans to how to proceed with this. Fingers crossed I'll get this done :) Thanks for reading!


	2. Confrontation

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Edelgard doesn't look back anymore.

This was nothing new for Edelgard. Having a shadowly presence follow her every move was one thing - she really needed to talk to Hubert about that - but a ghostly one trailing behind her, used to be a daily occurence. When she was younger, and her childish ignorance of the other world - the living regrets would latch upon her with their desires of seeing their loved ones one last time, a delivery of some worldly possession or the more dangerous ones wanted to possess her. Peaches were expensive, and thankfully she could afford them with her status. The peach currant, often used as an alternative to peaches in cuisine were cheaper, however did not have the same effect. 

Delightedly, planting a peach tree outside her bedroom window back home, proved to be an excellent safeguard against the undead. While there were alternatives such as the miracle bean, they were not suited towards the climate, or required extensive importing which was sure to raise some eyebrows. The centre of Fodlan - Garreg Mach Monastery was reportedly a safe haven, the closest point to the goddess, cultivated rare resources and a sanctuary forbidding even a single ghost taking a step upon its carpeted corridors. While such a place was accessible to Edelgard, she did not desire instigating a favour from the church. 

As such, other measures had to be taken. This new ghost seemed relatively harmless enough, besides her _ lack of propriety_, Edelgard’s cheeks threatened to blossom with red ruminating on the previous night’s events. In her rush to ignore the ghost, she had not had a good look at her. As such, Edelgard saw no need to dig into her dried flowers. 

The town drew closer in sight, the morning sun settling on the dewy leaves, and Edelgard slowly released a breath she had not realised she had been holding. The woods had lost its previous night’s gloom, rather the sun filtering through the trees of old, setting alight the colours of the fallen leaves. It..was truly beautiful. This journey, she had set out with only Hubert, despite the many disappointments, the utter beauty of the land, it lifted the weight in her chest, and her pride of the land soared to the forefront of her chest. The flags bearing the emblem of Aegir winked in the wind, she held no love for that family - nonetheless their dominion had been the site of the last sighting of her mother. She would have to keep her head low, as not to attract their attention. Warnings and well wishes from her siblings, her youngest older brother pulling her aside to tell - 

No, she must not get sidetracked. She was here to find her mother, nothing more. Entering the town was relatively easy, as the empire - unlike the kingdom, was enjoying a period of relative stability. She adjusted her cloak as to not let her hair peek through, while as one of the younger children of the Adrestian Emperor, she had the luxury of staying mostly anonymous, her stark hair stood out. The Prime Minister thankfully spent most of his time in the capital, but to capture the ire of the Aegir family would be incredibly detrimental. Unnervingly, that woman was still trailing her and Hubert as they walked onto the main south streets. 

Children ran past, giggling, elderly men shuffled their feet, hands clasped behind their back, slowing down the crowd. Yet...there was a sense of unease in the air. Edelgard stopped in the middle of the bustling crowd, feeling overwhelmed by the smell, the warmth, the noise of people.

“My lady.”

“Hubert, whereabouts in town did that knight say she saw her?”

“I believe, the west side, close to the family residence.”

“We should stay by, not too close - look like you are interested in those hair ornaments, the patrolman to your 3 o’clock is looking.”

Hubert cleared his throat, standing closer to the stall with the aforementioned hair ornaments. “Why, I believe this one would suit your eyes, Ma’am,” Hubert lowered his voice, “My lady, mayhaps we should go procure rooms.”

“We will do so, but let us gather some information first before the sun gets too high.” Edelgard hissed back. “Well, I am rather unsure about this colour would suit my dress.”

“I am sure it will suit your dress, since the dress suits your eyes, Ma’am- Lady Edelgard, we need a base of operations first, and you know I will be able to do recon.” 

A group of girls ran past giggling.

“He is gone,” Edelgard turned to look up at her shadow. “Hubert, the local inn from our knowledge is on the other side of town, I do not want to waste my time walking back and forth. Furthermore, this area and closer to the estate, we would raise suspicions as we are clearly from out of town, dawdling away from their markets.”

“Lady Edelgard, are you under the belief, Her Majesty who has been missing for years, would be out and about in Aegir territory in broad daylight? Already this goose chase that impudent knight-” 

“You are crossing the line, Hubert. I was merely suggesting I do not want to miss anyone who could hold a speck of information of where my mother could have gone-”

Abruptly, a very obnoxious, very _ familiar _ voice rang through the air, loud and clear. They had heard it unfortunately many times back in the capital, and yes, it was to be expected that the eldest _ legitimate _ son would be indeed be at home in his family’s territory. Nonetheless, the sheer luck of it all, they would run into him not even after an hour coming into town. The gaggle of girls surrounding him, watching him from afar, - as Ferdinand von Aegir led his horse along the streets - clearly back from a morning ride. Dread and bile rose in her throat, _ he was staring at them _, they needed to leave immediately. The cloaks hid their faces, but they were new and suspicious. 

“Excuse me, you there!” Passing the reins to his retainer, Ferdinand von Aegir approached them. “I have not seen you around before-”

“Lady Edelgard, you know where the inn is, I’ll meet you there and get him off our tail.” 

“Hubert, do not get caught. That is an order.”

“It is rather rude to ignore me!”

“Why, you believe that pompous cox-comb would be able to catch me?”

Edelgard huffed, and patted him on the back. She did not look back as she fled to the right where the crowds awaited, knowing Hubert would sink into the shadowy alleyways of the left. She could hear the indignance of the Aegir boy as he lost their trail, fading over the hubbub of the crowd. If she was correct, the inn would lie past the main square. She _ was not _ tired, but seeing as the sight was clear, she took the back alleyway, loosening her woolen cloak which was too warm, too suited for the harsh northern winters. The stone walls of houses were cool, providing shelter against the rising sun. It was mid-Autumn, the world was cooling after the hot summer, yet somehow, the days were still warm, the nights colder. 

“You’re a funny one.” The woman from yesterday was leaning against the wall, _ thankfully fully clothed, _her expression void of any emotion. Edelgard wanted to groan. She was so very sick and tired of this. She deigned to ignore her and deigned to walk straight through the woman. She needed to get back to Hubert, the sun was right above her head, and she knew every hair on her head would fry, if she stayed out any longer.

“I know you can see me. You saw a lot of me, last night.” Edelgard could feel the heat rising up her neck. _ I can’t see you, I didn’t see you _ . As Edelgard drew closer to the ghost, her features started to define, her hair cerulean, and her eyes a colour close behind. _ She was annoyingly pretty. _

“You’re planning to walk right through me, but what did horse boy do to get you in such a hurry?” Edelgard snorted, a huff blowing her hair strands out of her face. The corner of the woman’s lips twitched upwards. A mistake.

“See, you can even hear every word I’m saying. You’re a really strong one. A jackpot.” 

“What do you want.” Edelgard’s hands sneaked into her hidden pockets, the feeling of dried flowers comforting and her fingers curling, ready to strike if need be. This woman was stubborn, it didn’t matter if she was Edelgard’s type, she was dead and needed to go.

“I need your help.”

“I am not sorry, and no, you cannot have my body to borrow, neither can you eat my soul. I suggest you leave me alone, otherwise there will be consequences.”

“You have the peach blossoms, don’t you? Don’t worry, I’m not after _ you _, I’m after answers.”

“I cannot believe you.”

“Fair, but hear me out.”

“No. Leave me alone. I suppose you’re running away from the reapers, are you not? Perhaps shall I alert them to your presence?” The woman did not react. Edelgard continued. “For something that should have left this world, a long time ago, you sure do waste your time.”

“I don’t think I do.”

Edelgard raised her eyebrows. “No?” 

“How can I leave when I don’t know why I have to leave?” Ah, this woman was one of those ghosts. Ones that did not know who they were, or why they died. Frankly those were the most annoying, and the most persistent.

“All the more reason for you to leave. You have nothing left here that you know of.” Edelgard raised her chin high. The woman made eye contact with her, unwavering and still unreadable.

“No.”

Patience was slowly leaving Edelgard. “No? Well, I do not care. I do not have time to deal with your troubles. I have my own, I bid you farewell. Do not follow me.” She walked through the woman, feeling the cold of the dead wash over her, her pace quickening, the clack clack of her wooden soles echoing against the cobblestones. She did not look back. Edelgard had her fair share, and she was tired. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you so much for reading! I wasn't really expecting such a big response to this fic. Also I'm really sorry this is going to be a slow update, though I hope I will start to update more frequently closer to the year's end.


	3. Byleth

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In which a deal is placed on the table.

It had been a fruitless week. Scattering petals all around their room because one ghost wouldn’t take no for an answer, no information concerning her mother, von Aegir being too-good busybody -

“Lady Edelgard?”

“Yes, Hubert?”

“Your old habits of coming up again, shall I get you some Bergamot tea?”

“No need, old friend. I will be just fine.” Twirling her newly dyed hair in one hand, the other had been scraping and digging into the armrest, almost splintering the wood. Edelgard knew that Hubert did not believe her. That was fine. She was fine. The only good that came out of the whole situation was seeing Hubert attempted to rock a sandy blond. The spirit’s quiet laughter echoed in Edelgard’s mind, bouncing off the walls as Hubert had entered the room, sporting his new look. After their arrival in the dukedom's central, there had been whispers of shadowy figures and murder in their midst. Thus it became a requirement for them to brighten up their countenance and appear overtly joyful as the town's inhabitants. Despite the desecration of human lives albeit rumours, the town had remained rather chipper, sheltered from the desolation that awaited from outside its walls. Covert operations were Hubert's specialty, Edelgard growing up in her siblings' shadows, they both knew to offset expectations necessitated the simplest of solutions. 

Edelgard would have been 'banned' from leaving their inn room. However she had defended her case thoroughly and both of them had settled on a backstory to garner pity and lower defences. Sandy blond was clashing terribly with Hubert's ashy tones, and while there was humour to be found in that style, Edelgard and Hubert came to respectable middle grounds of someone fondly put it as - "coffee" brown. Someone else dourly corrected it to be a weak coffee, with no flavour but the taste of burnt milk. 

“I assure you, Hubert - you may not look like yourself, nonetheless you look fine.”

“The point is, Lady Edelgard, is not to look like myself. However, excuse me, because I do not feel like myself.” Hubert sniffed, his nose wrinkling with distaste at the sight of himself with the provided mirror. With a sweep of his cloak, he left the room.

“You look cute in brown.” Byleth's face popped up through the table. Her eyes round, her flyaway hair clipping through the cherry wood.

"Can you stop doing that. When will you ever leave me alone?" Edelgard sighed.

"Not until you hear me out."

Edelgard could see what would happen if she listened to her. She knew what happened every single time, her heart heavy and decaying with every word of the troubles that plagued living regrets. The pain of knowing how bitter the suffering every one of their lives were, and now continuing into death. She could never help them, her power only extended to sight, and her patience was tested by betrayal. Perhaps she could have chosen a path in judiciary matters, but as a member of the imperial family, it would be seen as overstepping. She looked back at the woman still comically peeping, and felt exhausted. The threat of summoning reapers was useless, only working on the more ignorant ghosts, and if the past week had shown anything, this woman even with her outwardly demeanor - was extremely shrewd. "If...I hear you out,” Edelgard hesitated. “...will you promise to leave me alone?"

Her blue eyes unwavering, the woman nodded. Edelgard released a breath. "Alright, I’ll listen." 

"One day, I woke up in the woods and I was dead." The woman raised her arm, flapping the ripped coat sleeves to and fro. "There was no one around, not even my body and I don’t know how long I was...I don’t even remember what my life previously was." She finally stood up and sat properly on the opposing chair. "I want to find out who I was and why I died."

All in all, it was a very standard request. Nigh impossible, especially for people who weren't recorded in any family registers. Presumably anyway, a woman like her, her remains most likely to be devoured by wildlife - with not even a corpse for anyone to identify, it was a tough one. Edelgard rubbed her temples.

"You do realise, it may be impossible to do so? In fact, it may be better to just turn yourself in, considering reapers would know your name and cause of death."

The woman bit her lip and would not meet Edelgard's eyes.

“I understand the sentiment of wanting to say goodbye to any living relatives, however you have to consider-"

"I know."

"-I don’t even know your name? Do you even know your name? How on earth do you expect someone - “

“Byleth.”

“What?”

“My name is Byleth. I think.”

“Byleth?”

The ghost’s lips twitched into some semblance of a smile. “Yeah, that sounds about right,” Byleth whispered. Her eyes softened very slightly, the outer corners of her eyes crinkling and Edelgard’s breath hitched. Despite the haziness, the lack of clarity Byleth’s form held, the subtlety of her happiness radiating from her at the sound of her name, Edelgard felt a hand grip her heart, preventing it from beating. 

“Well, Byleth - I am not sure if your request is within the scope of doable,” Edelgard paused, feeling her hopelessness of her own mission. “We don’t even know if you resided in this town, nor your previous whereabouts. ...I’m looking for someone myself, and I can’t get distracted.”

“That’s not a problem. I can help you, I’m dead so I can go to all sorts of places and eavesdrop mostly wherever. If I help you find this person, will you help me? You can talk to people - ask questions, I can listen to people, watch people when they least expect it.” Byleth gripped her knees, her gaze hardening, intently determined, Edelgard felt her eyes water trying to match the stare. 

"There is no guarantee for either of us to uphold this bargain." Edelgard retorted.

"There is. If I help you find this person, you then can help me find out who I am. It will be much more efficient working together as _we are both running out of time_."

"Frankly you have harrassed me this past week-"

"You don't know if the person you are looking for is alive, whether they are or not, with my help you are far more likely to get closure-"

Edelgard slammed her hand down on the table, cups rattling from the tremors. "That's enough."

“Do we have a deal or not?” Byleth hissed, leaning forward. She gripped the left armrest of Edelgard’s chair. If she were alive, her hairs would have tickled Edelgard's arms. Edelgard bit her lip, leaning backwards in her chair, attempting to continue the distance between the two. Striking a deal with the undead was...detestable, she had spent much of her life running from their daily annoyance. It took her so long to find even one single shred of her mother’s presence on Fodlan, and desperation in her was growing by the day. This mission she had set out on her 18th birthday, she was growing weary by the day and Byleth was right - she was running out of time. There was only so much time before a missing person's trail ran cold._ By any means necessary _ , her eldest brother had whispered on the night of his 19th birthday as he held the knife high. _ Any means necessary _ , her youngest older sister had murmured on her wedding day, fumbling with her dress. _ By any means, _ her dearest older brother coughed, as he lay there, his clothes turning a deep disgusting red. _By any means necessary,_ Edelgard had declared to her father, the day where her life crumbled apart and was placed together into a rotten mess.

“Yes.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> this was originally going to be longer and include an heist but there was some changes to be done, so let's see how that goes :) as always thank you for reading!

**Author's Note:**

> This is an idea I had based on a drama I've watched, but while the premise is similar - I have different plans to how to proceed with this. Fingers crossed I'll get this done :) Thanks for reading!


End file.
